Apparatus for damping and affixing adhesive stamps.



No. 810,236. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

B. 0. A. VORSTBR. APPARATUS POR DAMPING AND APFIXING ADHESIVE STAMPS.

APPLIGATION IILBD APR. 27. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT l.

PATENT'ED JAN.16, 1906.

B. C. A'. VOBSTBR. APPARATUS POR DAMPING AND APPIXING ADHESIVE STAMPS APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

attorney K UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR DAMPING AND AFFIXING ADHESIVE STAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed Ipril 27, 1905. Serial No. 257,674.

To all whom, it may concern: y

Be it known that I, BAsTiAAN CAREL AU- GUsT VonsTER, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing at Amsterdam, Holland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Damping and Afiixing Adhesive Stamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for damping and affixing adhesive stamps such as described in the United States specifica-v tion to my application 'for Letters Patent dated September 27, 1904, Serial No. 226,213. Such apparatus consisted, first, of a reel upon which were coiled the adhesive stamps and from which the stamps were led between a revolving feed-drum and a pressing-roller, which fed the stamps forward onto a damp- 4drum by the aid of the movable frame surrounding the damping-pad, to a spring-stud device and iiy mechanism for controlling the exact extent of the drums rotation, to a fixed cutting edge on the apparatus for separating the stamp on the damping-pad from the strip, to the construction of the dampingpad, and to the provision of pins on the stamp detaching and affixing instrument, which serve to pierce the stamp on the pad, so as to insure its being removed by the instrument.

In order that the said improvements may be readily understood, I will proceed to describe the complete construction of the said apparatus with the said improvements applied thereto, having reference for this purpose to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I shows a sectional front view;-Fig. II, a sectional side view; Fig. III, a plan with the casing partially opened. Fig. IV shows a vertical section of the stamp-afiixing instrument, and Fig. V an under side plan thereof.

The reel 1, on which the stamp-strip is ing thereon.

wound, is carried in bearings in the framing l5. square cross-section 29, upon which can be fitted the crank-handle 3() for rotating the same when winding on a band-strip 2. The latter is passed between the feed-drum 3 and pressing-roller 4, both of which are also mounted in the framing 15. This framing is iixed by screws on the base-plate 16, to which is also fixed the casing 31, inclosing the entire apparatus. The curved part of this casing, Fig. II, constitutes the hinged cover 32 thereof, which is secured Vin the closed position by a catch 33 and by opening which the pressing-roller, stamp-reel, &c., are rendered accessible., y

On the base-plate are provided pins 34, which insure the correct position of the cas- To the cover 32 are attached curved blade-springs 35, Fig. II, which bear upon the axis 5 of the pressing-roller 4 and serve to press this roller against the stampstrip 2, so that this may be correctly fed forward. The drum 3 is provided on both sides with a projecting flame for guiding the stamp-strip 2. Its rotation is effected by means of the ratchet-wheel 7, fixed on the drum-axis 6, the ratchet-wheel being rotated at each operation by means of a pawl 8 through such a distanceas will cause the periphery of the drum to travel the exact length of a stamp. The pawl 8 is pivotally mounted on the lever 9, which is pivotally mounted on the axis 6 and is acted upon by a helical spring 10, attached to the framing 15 whenever the lever 9 is turned by means of a device to be presently described.,

In order that the drum shall always turn the exact length of a stamp, it is provided on one side with a series of recesses 11, with which engages a holding-stud 12, carried by a blade-spring 13, iixed to the framing 15. The other end of this spring carries a frictional stud 18, pressing against the stampreel 1, so as tocontrol its motion. The holding-stud 12 is so formed that on the forced rotation of the drum it is pushed out of the recess 11, so that the drum can then turn through the length of a stamp, whereupon the stud 12 springs into the next following recess 11. In front of the drum the stamp-strip 2 passes over a tongue-piece 14, which is attached to a transverse bar 43, fixed to the framing 15 and formed with a very sharp front edge. Y

On the base-plate 16 there is arranged in Its axis is formed at the one end with a IOO IIO

' of the stamp-affixing instrument.

, which is iixed a larger toothed wheel 50, this front of the drum a water-trough 19, and l above this is a rectangular frame 21, the lower end of which can slide up and down on the water-trough. On a level with the upper edge of this frame are secured the upper ends of three wicks 17, which constitute the damping surface or pad for damping the adhesive side of the stamp, which draw up lthe water by capillary attraction from the trough 19. The wicks 17 are held closely below the upper edge of the frame 21 by means of bars 40 41, as shown in Fig. III. Between the wicks there are fixed to the frame 21 two thin transverse plates 42, which extend to the level of the upper edge of the frame and which serve as a support to the stamp when this is penetrated by the pins of the stampaflixing instrument, to be presently described. The water-trough 19 is filled, by means of a filling-tube 20, by a squirt device or the like. The frame 21 ,in addition to being guided by the trough, is mounted with lateral lugs 45 upon two guide-rods 46, on which are helical springs 22, that tend to press the frame in an upward direction; In its highest position the frame bears with a lug 36 against the transverse bar 43, as also against an opposite bar 44.

The stamp protruded by the feed-drum passes between the upper edge of the frame 21 and the lower edge of a tapered guideopening 39 formed in the cover of the casing 31 and serving to facilitate the introduction At the side of the frame 21 is provided a stud 38, which on the downward motion of the frame moves ina forked lever 37, the other end of which actuates the lever 9 by means of a pin 47. From this arrangement it will be seen that bythe depression of the frame 21 the levers 37 and 9 will be turned, thereby straining the sprin 10 and causing the pawl 8 to move bac iward over the ratchet-wheel 7, while on the upward motion of the frame 21 the spring 10 in drawing back the lever 9 will cause the pawl 8 to rotate the ratchet-wheel, and consequently the drum, through the required distance. In order to insure a uniform rotation of the drum 3, it is provided with a toothed rim 48, with which engages a toothed pinion 49, on the axis of being engaged with a pinion 51, on whose axis is fixed a fly 52. By the rotation of the drum 3 the fly will consequently be put in rapid rotation, thereby controlling the motion of the drum.

The stamp-affixing instrument shown at. Fig. IV and Fig. V consists of a tubular casing 26, in which is a stem 24, having at its i lower end a plate 23, corresponding in size to that of an adhesive stamp, while at the upper end it has a handle 53. A helical spring 25 in the casing 26 tends to press the stem 24 in the upward direction. The base of thel casing 26 is formed with side cheeks 27, which serve as guides to the plate 23. In the base of the casing are iixed two pins 28', passing through holes in the plate 23 and arranged in such positions that when introduced above the frame 21 of the damping apparatus they penetrate through the stamp on the pad on each side of the transverse plates 42. These pins have for their object to prevent the stamp from shifting and also to hold it. A

The combined action of the damping apparatus is as follows: rIhe stamp-strip is pushed from the reel 1 Abetween the drum 3 and pressing-roller 4 until the end one projects underneath the guide -opening 39 and in such manner that the line of perforations between such stamp and the next one is exactly over the sharp edge of the transverse bar 43. The apparatus is then in a condition for working, for if the stamp-aflixing instrument be now introduced into the guide-opening 39 with its side cheeks 27 resting upon the side edges of the frame 21, and if the instrument be then pressed downward, then the end stamp will first be separated from the strip by the shearing action of the sharp edge of 43. The stamp is then pressed against the plate 23 and is penetrated by the pin 28, while in the lowest position of the frame 21 the 'adhesive under side of the stamp comes in contact with the pad 17, so as to be damped thereby. If the instrument be then withdrawn, the stamp will remain attached to the pins, and it can then be affixed to wherever required by again depressing the handle 53. By the depression of the frame 21 the levers 37 and 9 are moved so as to cause the pawl 8 to slide backward on the ratchet wheel, and the spring 10 is put in tension. On the removal of the stamp-aflixing instrument the frame 21 moves upward again under the action of the springs 22, and the spring 10 then draws the drum 3 round in overcoming the pressure of the spring-stud 12, which springs into next the recess 11 as soon as the motion of the drum has been completed. By this motion of the drum the next stamp is brought under the guide-opening 39, such motion being controlled, as before described, by the fly 52. The above-described operation can then be repeated for aflixing another stamp, and so on continuously.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, IA

ing stamps of the kind herein described, the

combination with a feed-drum for feeding IOO IIO

IZO

stamps forward, of a ratchet-wheel secured thereto, a spring-actuated lever with pawl engaging said ratchet -wheel, a spring-Supported frame surrounding the moisteningpad adapted to be depressed by a stampdetaching instrument, and connecting means between said frame and said lever to actuate the latter by the depression and subsequent rising of the frame so as to turn the drum a distance corresponding to the length of a stamp substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for moistening and aHiX- ing stamps of the kind herein described, the combination with a drum for feeding stamps forward, of means to impart a step-by-step motion to said drum, consisting 0f a springstud on a lever adapted to engage with recesses formed at equal distances apart around the periphery of the drum and of fly-wheel mechanism connected to said drum by gearwheels, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for moistening and afliX- ing stamps of the kind herein described the combination with a feed drum for feeding stamps forward, 0f a moistening pad, of a transverse bar with sharp edge arranged at the side of the moistening-pad and adapted to cooperate with the edge of the detachmg instrument to shear 0H the stamp on the pad when said instrument is pressed down there-` onI substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for moistening and affixing stamps of the kind herein described the combination with a feed drum for feeding stamps forward of a moistening-pad composed of three wicks arranged vertically side by side, and of thin transverse bars as a support for the stamp upon the pad, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BASTIAAN CAREL AUGUST VORSTER.

Witnesses THOMAS HERMANN VERHAVE, HENRI JEAN ARNAUD BoIssEvAIN. 

